Weekend Writing Prompt #89 – Silhouette

I just finished watching a biopic of Jane Fonda and was inspired by something she said. Suddenly I knew what I wanted to write for this challenge.

A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments. Thank you, Sammi, for hosting this party.

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99 thoughts on “Weekend Writing Prompt #89 – Silhouette”

Very good. Assuming there is truth to your piece — Rather than feeling comfortable in my skin, my issue is that far too many roles in my life require me to wear a costume, a mask, to cover up the real me. I know I’m comfortable in my own skin, I just don’t get too reveal it all that often.

I absolutely agree with you, Mark. I have a plethora of masks I’ve used, and still do, out of necessity.
I do believe, however, that when it comes down to it, we need to feel authentic with ourselves and not put ourselves aside just to “fit” for/with another.

The biggest costume I wear is for work. It’s possible I’ll be able to retire from my 8-5 day job and have a lot more flexibility … meaning I’ll get to have my real skin as the outer layer a lot more frequently. You’ll probably understand just how much I’m looking forward to that. 😉

I so hear you. I think that’s where we all wear one (or most of us anyway).
I can well imagine that the closer we come to retirement, the more we look forward to it – unless we are the type (and I sure as hell am not) who lives to work…😏

We’re the same age. I, unfortunately, never stuck to a job long enough to build a decent pension. I definitely will retire officially as early as I can. I am not worried, at all, about keeping busy after! It’s those who have no outside interests who stay in it… or who die immediately after they do retire.

Absolutely. And I hope you do!
Once I sell my big-ass house and find myself a much smaller one, my life will totally change… Not that I am not living life now, you understand. This is not one of those: “I’ll be happy when I ______” situations. 🙂

Yes. I want to downsize too and do a few other things. Unfortunately, my family isn’t cooperating. One adult son still lives at home. The other is taking the slow approach to college as he figures out what he wants to do with his life. He has finally figured it out, I think, and has done well this year for the first time. If he continues to do that, I want to be able him out. Can’t do that if I completely retire. So, I’m unfortunately still in the “I’ll be happy when I …” situation. But it is definitely really close. Working on some ideas that will allow me to retire and earn enough supplemental income to meet the needs for a few more years. Your 6 months on, 6 months off life is one of the options I’m exploring.

You sure you’re not talking about MY house? One adult son has returned to school full-time in the evenings (and works during the day) to get his electrician papers; the younger son is in college and is trying to figure out what he wants to do…
The downsizing is a necessity because, first off, I loathe housework and we moved here so my husband could work from home. Now that he is no longer with us (been 4 years now), I don’t need/want all this space.
I was considering looking for something else, but frankly, I’ll take the pain for 6 months so I can take the joys for 6!

That’s too funny. My 24-year-old has finally given up on trying to make college work and says he is moving out this summer — but I don’t see him laying the necessary foundation to make that a success. I told him on Friday I fully expected him to have to move back 6 months after he moved out. Meanwhile, younger son is up in Chico, after being academically disqualified from continued attendance at Chico State, he started taking community college classes and last year figured out that he wants to back to Chico State for his bachelor’s in animal science and he FINALLY started taking his classes seriously. It’s going to be another three years before he gets it done.

As for downsizing — absolutely yes, the last thing I want to be when I retire is a slave to our house. We have a pool and a larger yard than we need and 2100 square feet and two stories and I want none of it. The wife, on the other hand …

When I get to that moment, I want to be out in the world, running, hiking, biking, exploring, painting, writing. The last thing I want is to waste my time taking care of a house that is bigger than needed. Humbug!

This is too funny. Iain (the 21 yr-old) was going to move out but got accepted (to his surprise) to electricity school so, his moving out will be delayed by 2 years (length of the program) and he’s very much like his mother so no way in hell will he move back. Aidan (the 19 yr-old) doesn’t seem to be in any rush whatsoever to do anything. However, he seems to be serious in this program, so fingers crossed. Of course, all goes well, then it’s on to University so… shit.

Same. 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths plus a friggen powder room? We are 3 – THREE – in the house. The pool is just a pain in my ass that only I use sporadically. The hubby was a necessary piece to keeping this joint running smoothly – a Mr. Fix-It.

I have started living, however. Sent myself, by myself, to Tuscany, my dream destination two years ago. If this bleeping house had sold, I would have been in Burgundy for my 55th birthday. But, had to cancel that one.

Time. Sammi understands that. While I haven’t deadlines imposed by others, I do have my own impatience to be done, dusted, PUBLISHED, and moved on to the next project. I tell, this e-book thing is such a good discipline.
I guess it’s it’s the same as most folks get from the NaNo thing. I’ve announced my intention. announced it public on my blog. Now … gotta be done.

Once more you’ve hit this one out of the ballpark. You inspire the rest of us, you know. If you didn’t know, it’s time you did and I’m just the woman to tell you so. 😉 Well told in the allotted 65 words. Going to post mine in a moment. (Yeah, Sammi’s roped me in…through you.) ❤

It takes many years to get to a point where you are comfortable in your own skin. But once there, you don’t leap out. You stick the landing and trust your instincts. Trust the voice, it will lead you.

Brava! And to think you borrowed inspiration from the great Lady Jane! Woman of so many hats- Oscar, Emmy, Tony nods- whose personal life has been filled with complicated personalities. And yet, she broke it down to its simplest point. And flourished as a result.

Good words of advice, Dale. Just from the little bit I know of you, I think you’ve discovered you’re way stronger than you thought you were.
I heard Jane Fonda interviewed on NPR when that show came out, but I haven’t seen it. I’ll have to wait for it to get to Netflix.

Aww, thank you, Merril.
A friend of mine said she saw it was on Netflix. I dunno as I caught it on HBO, on TV. I know that HBO and Netflix are not buddies and I think she saw it was listed (as they will be when they are NOT part of the programming…)

This is excellent. As was said in the previous comments, it takes a lot of us a literal lifetime to get comfortable in our own skins. We have the tendency to adapt to what’s around us. Like I’m still different at work than I am outside of it. Over the years, I’ve grown more not to care what others thought, and it’s no coincidence I’ve accomplished more as a result. But still takes awhile for many to find their place and space in this world.

Thank you, David.
It does take a lifetime – or a huge chunk of it – to not only be comfortable in our skin, but to accept that it won’t float everyone’s boat and to be okay with that. We have to adapt to our surroundings to a certain extent but yes, as we get older, we care less about what others think… benefits of aging, eh?
Thank you so much for your chime!

Fabulous! I like this a lot. I really adore your writing.
Well, I’m comfortable, but not 100%.
Perhaps I should just get a new picnic basket?
Oops, sorry, I had a momentary lapse and began channelling Yogi Bear.
😘😘